March 17, 2013

The most prostituted press in the world

Aneurin Bevan said that our press was the most prostituted in the world. It still is.

A handful of unelected media moguls are free to use their great wealth to manipulate, distort and lie in pursuit of their own interests. Prime Ministers are in awe of their power and genuflect before them. The Editor of the Sun threatened to dump a dustbin of shit on PM John Major's desk. Tony Blair flew to Australia to abase himself before Murdoch's empire. Gordon Brown and David Cameron demeaned their high office by courting press barons socially. In deepest Oxfordshire a cabal of politicians, press and police socialise in unhealthy intimacy. Prime Ministers recall that the Sun newspaper claimed to have won the 1992 election. They fear becoming the electoral victims of the tabloids.

That is the reason why Cameron plans to betray the McCann, Dowlers and Hillsborough victims tomorrow. He is bowing to editors' pressure. Where Leveson has asked for a tough independent watchdog, Cameron is bullying his biddable MPs to appoint a pussy cat without teeth or claws. Incredibly Cameron want the Press to have the power to veto appointees to the new board. Like defendants in court appointing their own juries.

Yesterday we learned of 60 new alleged phone hacking cases. The spying on the Dowlers was cruel. Innuendos against the grieving McCanns were abominable. The relatives of the Hillsborough victims had to wait 23 years before the Sun's hurtful lies about their loved one were admitted.

Leveson was balance and restrained. He gave the need of press freedom supreme importance. His proposed restrictions were modest. He did not suggest imposing on the press the same duty of political balance that the BBC and ITV have under their Charters. They will still be free to campaign in the same irresponsible way that they do now.

Cameron has ratted on his promise to the Hacked-off victims to approve any report that was not 'bonkers.' He has now surrended to pressure from the moguls. Congratulation to the decent reasonable Tory MP Robert Buckland and others who are resisting the strong arm tactics of Tory whips. Cameron is playing a cynical game. Win or lose tomorrow, he is relying on the gratitude of the tabloids to exaggerate, cheat and lie in pursuit of his re-election in 2015. He will vote for his own political survival. Parliament will vote for the nation. No others should suffer as the McCanns, Dowlers and Hillsbourgh victims have.